He presses a peck to my lips again before letting go and grabs his bags. My mind is fixated on the fact that I hate the way I feel nothing when he kisses me. No sparks, no fireworks. Nothing.
CHAPTER 9
Parker
I shoot the basketball,it swirls around the rim before falling in. I let out a whoop, declaring my victory to my coworkers who just roll their eyes. This is what we do a lot during downtime at the station.
“You take the fun out of playing when you brag.” Jo rolls her eyes.
“I’m not bragging, I said I would win and then I did.”
“Try some humility,” she jokes.
“I don’t know what that is.” I shrug and she rolls her eyes. Jo is in her late thirties and loves to give me shit. It’s a prime example of a brother and sister relationship. That’s how it feels with all my coworkers. We’re family, we tease each other, but at the end of the day we know we have each other’s backs. I trust these people with my life.
“Trust me, we know,” Dave quips as I pick up the ball, bouncing it on the concrete a couple times.
I fake laugh, and Jameson just shakes his head at all of us, like he usually does.
“Don’t forget, we all agreed to go to the First Responder’s night at the park next week,” Jameson reminds everyone.
“Looking forward to it,” Jo says deadpan with an eye roll.
“C’mon, it’ll be fun,” I rib. “Nothing like showing off for the whole town how good we look.”
“I don’t think you have any trouble showing off,” she retorts.
My eyes catch on a car pulling into the parking lot next door that’s used for the grooming salon that is currently out of commission from the fire. Turns out it was electrical. The building was old, and a lot of the wiring wasn’t up to code and resulted in the whole thing going up in flames.
I don’t recognize the white car, but after it parks, I do recognize the blonde woman that steps out of the passenger side. I’m so focused on her, I hardly even notice the guy that steps out of the driver’s side. I’m already making my way out just talk to her, if only for a minute.
“This feels like déjà vu,” Jo says from behind me, but I’m already pushing out of the front door of the station.
“I don’t recommend going in there,” I call out.
Lily’s head whips around, and her eyes instantly narrow. She’s not the first one to say something, the lanky guy in front of her is.
“We’re here on business, don’t worry about it,” he states firmly.
I get closer and I’m able to see the guy more clearly.The boyfriend.He’s tall, probably about an inch or two shorter than me. His light hair is cut short and styled neatly. He’s wearing a polo and pants. He looks way too put together to be around here. And way too put together for Lily.
She likes reckless, chaotic, covered in dirt and fresh off the back of a horse. Not this guy who looks like he’s never even come within ten feet of a farm animal. I have no idea what she sees in him.
“I still can’t let you go in without the owner present, especially when it’s a current safety risk.”
“Oh shut it, Parker.” Lily rolls her eyes.
“Is the owner joining you?” I question.
“She doesn’t need to be, I have a key,” she sasses.
“I could call the cops for trespassing. Wouldn’t be your first run in with them, would it, Lil criminal?”
Her eyes narrow at me, and I can’t help my smirk thinking about the couple times we toed the line of legal trouble. Luckily, in a small town where everyone knows everyone it’s pretty easy to talk your way out of anything too serious. Especially as kids.
“You’ve been arrested?” the guy I forgot was standing there asks.
Lily shakes her head, “No, of course not.”